The Returning of the Ways
by the doctor's next dance
Summary: Yes, I think the title's rubbish too. But hey, read it anyway! The chapter name's good! The tenth Doctor and Rose fight evil once again but when disaster strikes, a “daft old face” reappears, much to Rose’s and our delight…
1. That planet's still got a north

**That planet's still got a north**

**A/N** The tenth Doctor and Rose fight evil once again but when disaster strikes, a "daft old face" reappears, much to Rose's and our delight… My first fanfic – includes some of the dialogue from POTW, sorry if it's annoying, I've tried to keep it brief (the dialogue that is, not the story!) Hope you like 

I own nothing. Absolutely zippo. Nada. Well, technically, I own a David Tennant doll, which is treachery really as I love Chris and not him, but the Chris doll is too expensive!

"Doctor!" Rose cried as she charged down the wooden pier. The black rolling sea seethed beneath her, crashing onto the walkway. At the end of the pier, Rose could see two figures grappling with each other, one the familiar shape of the Doctor and the other of the Master. She heard their shouts and she ran faster, bellowing her companion's name.

"Doctor!" She cried again, as she saw the bulkier man throw her friend to the floor. Suddenly there was a huge bang of an explosion and a blazing fire burst into the air with a crash. Rose stopped and jolted, her eyes wide and disbelieving as she looked at the solid walls of fire rumbling in all directions. "Oh my God…" she murmured.

"Doctor…Doctor..DOCTOR!" She called his name, her voice picking up volume as she got no reply to her cries. She started running again, seeing that the explosion had blown the end of the pier off and the fire was raging there. The rest of the pier was separated from this part, so the part she was standing on was safe and not burning. Her heart thumped faster and faster as she ran, her eyes feverishly glancing around her, looking for a sign of life. Then she saw it. A small black shape, standing out from the dancing flames of the fire, was hunched up at the end of the pier.

She rushed up to him and sank to her knees beside his tired body. She pulled his head onto her lap and looked down at him. His normally lean face was burnt and scratched. A deep cut ran down one side of his face and his left cheek was sporting a large purple bruise. Rose's eyes filled with tears as the Doctor's eyelids opened and he gave her a weak cheeky grin.

"Rose.." He sighed. "He's gone. It's over. I pushed him…"

"Sssh!" She whispered, cradling his face in her hands. "You're gonna be fine, Doctor, don't you worry."

"No." He said, sadly shaking his head. "My body is broken. It can do no more service for me. I must move on…. change…"

Rose gasped as she realised what he was explaining and shook her head violently. "No. You can't! I've only just got used to this _incarnation _of you and now you're changing again? I can't take it! It's like you die every time and a new person who takes your name and belongings is in your place! Doctor, surely you can.."

"Rose." He murmured. "It's gonna be fine. It's still me. You must always remember that. It'll always be me…."

His voice trailed away to a husky whisper before dying all together. Rose sobbed and blinked her eyes furiously as she held his head to her. Suddenly, she felt a large burst of energy and heat against her and squeezed her eyes tight shut. She knew that if the Doctor had had enough energy he would have told her to stand back before he went. That's what he had done last time, when her first Doctor, _her own _Doctor had changed. But now she didn't care about the heat, she just wanted the change to stop. She wanted the Doctor to be as he had been when she had first met him. His personality hadn't changed that much, but gone was his enthusiastic grin that made everyone without exception smile. Gone were his clear blue piercing eyes that conveyed so many emotions and said so many things. Gone were the overlarge ears and nose that endeared him to her so much. She sobbed harder as she remembered taking his hand in the basement where she had worked. Little did she know when she had taken his hand that she was stepping into a world beyond her dreams, into a world where she would travel with the Doctor at her side. As she buried her head in the top of his, she heard the blowing and grumbling of the regeneration subside. She bit her lip through her tears, knowing that when she opened her eyes she would see a new man, who would claim to be the Doctor, and he would be, but in the same way, he wouldn't be.

"Rose?" A deep voice asked. The voice was gentle and calming. And also very, very familiar. Rose breathed in deeply, her brow furrowing as she tried to remember who the voice reminded her of. Then it struck her that the voice had a strong northern accent.

She looked up, in disbelief, and opened her eyes. And gasped.

Kneeling before her, gazing concerned at her through his glazed eyes was the Doctor. _Her _first Doctor.

"Doctor!" She cried "It's you!"

"I would hope that it's me." He smiled, his old brightening grin.

"No! It really is you! The … version of you that I first knew!"

His brow creased and he reached up with his hand to his hair. He ran his fingers through his dark close cropped hair before running both his hands down his face. Then he grasped his ears with his hands and he in turn gasped.

"That's definitely me!" He gasped, and then looked back at Rose. She was smiling through the tears running thick and fast down her face.

"You never said that you can regenerate into your past forms!" She beamed.

"But I shouldn't." He said. "This has never happened to me before. Never happened to a Time Lord before! I don't see how it could happen. Unless…" His voice trailed off as he looked from his hands, which he had been studying carefully, to Rose. She blushed from his glance.

"Unless someone touching me was thinking of a person very strongly and they had a lot of …emotion connected to that person. The force of the thought would have a great deal of influence in my new form."

Rose looked at him in the eyes. "All right, I admit it. I was thinking about the Doctor I first knew as you changed." She bit her lip as she continued. "But that doesn't matter does it? Surely it's not that a big deal?"

"Of course it doesn't matter! It's one of the best things that could happen to me! I've saved one of my lives _and _you'll be happier because I'll look like I used to!" He waved his arms happily. "The only downside is that I've got these huge ears and this daft old face again!"

Rose laughed as she remembered that he had called his face that before. "But it's a nice daft old face." She smiled as she put a hand on his knee. The Doctor quickly glanced at it before looking back at her.

"And now you're back…" She said dubiously, moving on her heels to a more comfortable position. "Perhaps you can tell me what exactly _did _happen that day." She met his slightly confused glance with a firm and resolute one. "How I got back to you…just before you changed."

The Doctor sighed before patting Rose's hand on his knee. He held it as he stood up, pulling Rose with him. "I thought you might want to know all the little details one day. Come on." He said, as they waked back along the pier. Rose gave a final glance behind her to the drifting, burning part of the pier. The fire had now all but died out. It was over.

The two walked hand in hand back through the empty village and up the track to the forest where they had left the Tardis. As they walked the Doctor explained to Rose what had gone on that fateful day. "And then I heard the grating sound of the Tardis and spun round. The doors burst open and a great white light shone out. It was blinding. Then there was a burst of gold and suddenly you were standing there in front of me, shining with a golden light, your eyes burning. I was terrified. I couldn't understand what you'd done but knew whatever it was, it was dangerous."

"D'you mean to say that whilst you were surrounded by Daleks and were about to be "exterminated" you still found time in your chaotic timetable to feel worried for me?"

"Course. You always need to be looked after. Never know when you might go and do something else really stupid."

"OI!"

The Doctor turned his head to look at her, grinning, before continuing with his narrative. "I asked you what you had done and you said that you had looked into the Tardis. It was then that I knew you had done something really stupid." He continued quickly as he dodged a pointy elbow dig. "Something really stupid, but also really brave. And clever, really, in a mad sense. Then the emperor Dalek started moaning about you being there and a Dalek cried "Exterminate!" It all happened so quickly, so I had no time to push you aside or anything. By the time I had turned to see the white light shine out from its gun you had put up your hand and the light had gone back to its gun. I was amazed!"

"And you should have been. I'm not that useless in a fight."

"Yeah, you're better than Jack. Which is not exactly a compliment as he's rubbish too but.."

"Will you shut it with the mouthy comments and get on with the story!"

The Doctor grinned again. "Then you said that you "Were the Bad Wolf." You waved your hand and the words forming the "Bad Wolf" sign flew away "Scattered across time and space" to quote yourself. You said that these would lead you here. After that I knew something mad was up. I told you to stop, that the power was running through your head and that you were gonna burn."

The Doctor paused for a moment and Rose looked at him questioningly. "And what did I say to that?" She prompted.

The Doctor took a breath before continuing "You looked down at me. I was on the floor still, I collapsed soon after you arrived, the light was so bright. You said that you wanted me safe, and you called me…your Doctor." He looked across nervously at her to see her reaction. Rose hadn't changed her composure, except that she now had a slight pink tinge to her face and her lips were slightly parted. He took another breath.

"I just..looked at you. Then the emperor Dalek went nuts saying that you couldn't hurt him and that he was immortal blah blah blah. You looked back at him and your eyes started burning again. You said that compared to you, he was tiny and that you could see every atom of his existence "And I divide them" you said. Then the Dalek who had tried to shoot you just sort of … melted away. Then so did the next one and gradually they all did."

"Told you I wasn't useless in a fight."

The Doctor just ignored her. "You said that "The Time war ends." Then the emperor Dalek just melted away and I knew that all the Daleks must have melted too. I couldn't believe it. But my attention was drawn back to you because you had your arms stretched out and the power was just rushing out of you and I could see that it was too much for you. I told you you'd done it and that you had to stop. You resisted me and said that you "Brought life". I told you it was wrong and that you couldn't control life and death. You contradicted me. You said that you could control everything, the sun, the moon, the day, the night. I thought you were a lost cause and that I'd never get through to you. Then you said "But why do they hurt?" I said that the power would kill you and it was my fault."

Even now the Doctor shook as he thought of it. Rose looked at him concerned, knowing that the tale was coming to an end.

He took yet another breath, kicked a fallen log aside as he and Rose entered the forest. "Then you said that you could see everything - all that was, all that is and all that ever could be. I looked back up at you and stood up, knowing that no matter what, I had to save you. And now I knew that you knew what it was like to be like me. I told you that that was what I saw all the time! Then you said that it hurt your head. I reached out for you and asked you to come to me. You said that it was killing you - and I knew what I had to do. I said "I think you need a Doctor.""

The Doctor stopped walking, coming to a sudden stop. The Tardis was just visible through the trees. He turned to face Rose and held her hands, one in each of his. He looked earnestly at her. Rose's breathing quickened and she felt her heart beat race as she looked up at him. She gulped and half whispered "And then what did you do?"

"This." He said simply, before bending his head and meeting her upturned one with his lips. He kissed her, firmly but at the same time gently. He moved away from her and broke the kiss carefully, his eyes not for a moment leaving hers.

They looked at each other and he whispered "And then I did this." He picked her up, one arm under her legs, the other around her waist and back, clutching her to him. Their eyes still didn't stray from the others' as he carried her back to the Tardis. He opened the door and carried her up the ramp before placing her gently on the seat by the console. His hands gradually left her body and he turned to the console. He fiddled with the controls and a beeping noise started. The central column started to glow. Rose saw his head bow down before he turned back to her.

"Then you woke up. The power was transferred and I regenerated." He sighed. "Now you know." He said, looking at her right in the eyes, waiting for her reaction. Rose stood and came to stand in front of him, looking gently up at him. She put a hand out to his arm and parted her lips. The Doctor sighed and shivered. Suddenly he grabbed her shoulders and looked intensely at her.

"Rose, something has happened to me that has never happened between a Time lord and a human before. Something that has probably never happened to two Time Lords before. Well, not as much." He gave a half smile before continuing. Rose swallowed and started to breathe heavily.

"Rose." He spoke gently. "I'm in love with you." He too was breathing heavily and looking at her almost tentatively, waiting for her reply agitatedly.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief and happiness. She smiled as for the second time that day she felt a prickling behind her eyes and felt a single tear drip down her cheek. "And strange though it is, I believe that I'm in love with you."

The Doctor swallowed in turn and breathed heavily once more before his familiar smile started to shine out upon Rose. He laughed and pulled Rose closer to him. Rose too smiled at him and bit her lip.

"Now, you will remember this…and not forget" he whispered in her ear. Rose smiled again and raised her head as the Doctor kissed her again. And this time, she would always remember.

**A/N** I wrote this last Easter, before series 2 started. I hope you like it – there's a better bit to come, I promise! Reviews **very very** welcome, even if just to tell me that I can't write!

Masses and masses of love 'n hugs to my dear Becky, 'cuz without her this wouldn't be up and I'd still be freaking out! This chapter is for her!


	2. Men just can't take hints, can they?

**Men just can't take hints, can they?**

**A/N** Well, here is part two. I've upped the rating for stuff that is implied in this chapter, but there's probably not really much of a need for it. Still, better be on the safe side! Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers (all, er, 4 of them) I love you all as you are the first people to have seen my story **and** you said you liked it! So thank you again, and I hope you like this bit…

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Rose lay in her bed in the Tardis, thinking about the last few weeks. They had been perfect, absolute bliss. The Doctor knew that she loved him and she knew that he loved her in return. He hadn't taken her anywhere really, just a few places that he knew she would like. They had spent most of their time in the Tardis control room or walking around some wood that was full of the "talking mice" the Doctor had mentioned to her before. Just holding hands and being together. But satisfying as it had been, when Rose retired to her room at night and left the Doctor, she wanted more.

That night she had told the Doctor very carefully that she was going to bed now. He had just nodded and carried on oiling some part of the control pad. Wished her a good night. That was it. Rose turned over, towards the door. A blue light glowed dimly along the corridor. "The light from the control room" she thought. "He must still be up." Rose thought for a minute, before slipping out of bed and hurrying to her wardrobe. Here she had all the clothes from the Tardis' immense clothes stock that she wore frequently; trousers, jackets etc. She took a white silk dressing gown with some blue intricate writing on the back, slipped it on and crept out of her room and along the corridor to the control room.

The Doctor stood over a panel of switches, his hands resting on the edge of it. He was staring into the central blue column. He hardly noticed Rose enter until he saw a flash of white through the blue pillar of light. He jerked out of his trance immediately and shaking his head he looked out round the corner of the column.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked gently, smiling at Rose. Then he seemed to realise what she was wearing and the smile froze and faded to a gaze of wonder. Rose looked quizzically at him, the blue light lighting up her face. Her blonde hair framed her pale and smooth face. She looked beautiful.

"What?" She asked

"It's just…"

"What!" She repeated

"You look……never mind…" The Doctor shook his head again and looked to the floor before quickly snapping his head back to Rose. "Am I keeping you awake with all the banging?"

Rose laughed. "No." She came to sit on the edge of one of the panels, careful not to turn on anything. (A/N Apart from the Doctor…hehehe!(My friend thought of that, not me. Honestly.)) "Doctor, don't you ever sleep?"

"No. Waste of time."

"Yeah, but don't you get tired?"

"What's the point in being tired! If you spent half your life sleeping and being tired, then you'd never get anything interesting done! So much to see, so little time… You need to always be alert if you want to _really _see the whole galaxy, and other ones beside."

"So you never go to bed?"

"Nope." The Doctor grinned proudly, putting his hands behind his back.

Rose sighed and slid off the panel.

"Goodnight then." She said as she turned back towards the door.

"Night." The Doctor watched her go sadly, before turning back to his work, trying to get rid of the thoughts in his head. "Don't even think about it, mate." He thought. "It's not your place. You're different."

Rose paused in the doorway, took a breath and looked back at him, one hand on the door. "There are more things to do at night other than sleep, Doctor. Night." She looked down and slowly walked back to her room.

The Doctor watched her go, his heart beating rapidly. Now what did he do? He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and paced up and down the control room. He stopped twice, raising his hand in the air and opening his mouth, before continuing his steady walk. Finally, he looked up at the cavernous roof of his ship. "What d'you think then, eh?" He asked. The Tardis let out an almost inaudible groan, which would have sounded like a breeze running through trees to anyone else's ears. But the Doctor had been with his ship for many years and knew it well. He understood what the Tardis was trying to convey. "Right." He whispered, glancing again at the door. He looked at his leather jacket, cast on the chair in a corner, reached for it but then put down his hand. No. He would go as he was.

Rose got back into bed, sighing. She couldn't be bothered to take off the beautiful dressing gown, so it fell over the side of the bed like a river of silk. "Right." She thought, "If he doesn't come now then he never will." She listened carefully for a few minutes. Nothing. Rose sighed. Obviously aliens were harder to win over than men. She put her head on her pillow and closed her eyes. She could still see, or rather sense the blue light, even when her eyes were closed. Suddenly, a shadow seemed to pass over it. Slowly Rose opened her eyes and raised her head.

The Doctor stood in her doorway, pausing tentatively. The blue light darted across his face and his eyes glinted in the darkness. Rose took in a breath and parted her lips. She saw him swallow and then suddenly as she swung her legs over the side of the bed he was across the room, in two of his long, confident strides. Like a wave crashing against a cliff in a storm he grabbed her and pulled her to him, kissing her strongly. Rose just melted against him as his lips met hers, and she was gone. He ran his hands along her face and down to her neck. He broke the kiss, gazed at her wonderingly, before reaching in for a more powerful and loving one. One hand went to her waist which he grasped tightly. She pulled him onto the bed, her arms wrapped round his neck. He raised his arms as she ripped off his shirt. She ran her hands across his strong bare shoulders as he kissed her neck. Suddenly he ran a hand along her leg, stroking the silken dressing gown away. She pulled off the remainder of his clothes and they lay by each other, just for a moment, breathing heavily and gazing into the others' eyes. Then all restrain was gone and the two fell on each other, months of longing and loving in one moment let loose.

Later that night Rose lay with her head on his shoulder, smiling happily in her dreams. The Doctor had one arm wrapped around her, holding her to him, protecting her, even in sleep. Subconsciously, something in Rose stirred. Rose murmured into the night "Luke"…….

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Weeks later, Rose looked out once again upon the icy and sweeping landscape of the planet "Woman Wept". Her last visit there had been many months ago now, just over a year, perhaps, but she still remembered the shine of the moon on her and the Doctors' backs as they walked out across the frozen sea. Now, standing in the glow from the Tardis, she stood on a cliff, looking out at the rolling and mystical sea, knowing that any moment now it would freeze and turn into an icy sculpture. She heard a click as the Doctor locked the Tardis door and came to stand by her. She looked up at him to see him take a deep breath of the cold night air. He looked down at her and grinned, "Any minute now, Rose." His words were still echoing around the cliffs when suddenly the moon came out from behind her frosted veil of clouds and shone out upon the sea. A rushing sound filled the air and the breeze across Rose's face chilled as the icy hand of frost spread across the sea. Ten foot high waves froze in the air, the froth on their edges stopped as they were bubbling.

"Come on then, let's go for a midnight stroll!" The Doctor smiled, as he took her hand gently and pulled her down the path to the bay with him.

As Rose was tugged down the path, she almost slipped on some loose shingle. Instinctively, she reached out for her stomach. She had been doing this for a while now, but she hadn't really realised why until a few days ago. It had just been natural, until one night, as she lay in her bed, unable to sleep, the Doctor's breathing soft on her back, she had felt a movement. Not unlike the one she had felt before, of course, but this time she was conscious. And she felt it. And she knew.

Rose had always wanted a baby, but she never even began to think of who the father might be. She never would have guessed that one day, in the future, she would be cavorting around a different planet, about to walk on a frozen sea, pregnant with an alien who owned a time machines' child.

Still, when she reached for her stomach protectively this time, the Doctor saw it and was worried. Was Rose ill? He frowned to himself as he thought that he might not be caring for her properly. But Rose would have told him if it was something that troubled her. He smiled to himself, reassuringly. Best leave it alone and let Rose sort it out.

They reached the beach with a flurry of stones as the Doctor's eagerness overtook him and he nearly fell headfirst into a rock pool. Rose laughed as he wobbled around, trying to regain his balance. The Doctor glared at her, before breaking out into a smile and racing towards the sea. Rose followed but as she reached the edge she looked dubiously at it. The Doctor was already charging across it, but he looked back to see where Rose was. He motioned to her to follow. Rose looked down at her stomach and winced. Her jeans were getting just a little too tight. Not anything noticeable, but at the moment she felt like she did when she was wearing tight trousers and had just eaten a large Christmas dinner - a bit uncomfortable. She looked back up at the Doctor to see that his face was creased with concern. He started back towards her. When he reached the edge of the sea he held out his hand to her. It was just as inviting as it had been when he had held it out to her in the basement of her workplace. She took it, gratefully, and decided as he pulled her up and looked into her eyes that she would have to tell him. Now.

"What is it, Rose?" The Doctor said as he carefully lead her out onto the sea. "You haven't been yourself for a few days now." He eyed her suspiciously "Come on, tell me."

Rose sighed. "If only you knew…." She whispered as they headed towards a large frozen wave.

"If only I knew what?" He asked, puzzled.

"Doctor, I haven't been the same for….." She thought for a moment before replying "3 weeks, 4 days, 5 hours and 17 minutes."

"Wha….??? Oh.." The Doctors confused face suddenly blushed as he realised what moment she was referring to.

"Yes, 'Oh' Doctor", Rose stopped and turned to look him in the eyes. "Do you still not realise?"

The Doctor looked at her, his eyes whirling with possible realisations, thoughts and ideas. Then his brow furrowed and he looked at Rose intently, and grabbing her arms he hoarsely whispered "Rose, you're not, you can't be serious, I mean, surely it's not possible….." The Doctor floundered in his confusion. Rose looked at him, her eyes pricking. Why did she always cry at the most important moments in her life?

"Doctor," she whispered gently "I think that I'm pregnant. And it's yours" she hurriedly continued, as if she thought he might have had any doubts.

The Doctor gaped like a goldfish for a moment or two before he started to grin. And his grin just grew and grew. Rose had been amazed at how big his smile had been previously, but this time it was bigger. And she started to smile too, happy that he wasn't afraid or angry, just blissfully happy like any other human when discovering that they were going to have a child.

The Doctor whooped, grabbed Rose, swung her round, put her back on the ground quickly as he realised that he might be hurting the baby, and after quickly glancing her over to check that she was all right, leant in to kiss her. When he finally broke away from her, he was still grinning. "You…me…a baby.. oh my….FANTASTIC!!" He laughed before doing a strange dance on the ice. Rose laughed. He grabbed her around the waist and carefully drew her to him. "We'll be careful now." He said. "I promise I won't take you to any place where the odds are you'll get kidnapped or something, all right?"

"You still think after my nifty footwork on that random planet with the mechanical fly-things that I'm likely to get kidnapped?" Rose replied indignantly.

"You never know." He grinned back.

Rose smiled as he carried her back across the ice ("We don't want you falling over and ruining my chance to be a father do we?" he had explained as he swept her up.) Rose leant her head against his leather jacket and was quiet as she listened to the beating of his hearts. She wondered whether her baby would have two hearts? Or would he or she be like her? Would the baby be an _it_?

As the Doctor fumbled for the key to the Tardis at the top of the cliff, Rose lazily opened one eye and looked up at the Doctor. "You do realise that we have to tell my Mum?"

Rose was suddenly properly awakened as she was nearly dropped to the floor in a certain alien's sudden realisation and horror.

**A/N **Yes, I know my sense of what happens when during pregnancy is a little out, but I really don't care!! If I got all scientific, then it would ruin the story. Anyways, please REVIEW!!


	3. The mother in law

**The mother-in-law**

**A/N ** Well, here is part 3 – your wanted to know what Jackie's response to the news was…… so here it is! Thank you to all my reviewers, damn I missed the hearts, I usually remember but I'll keep checking that! As to the price of the Chris doll, you can only get him by buying the regeneration set (which includes David as well as Chris) which is £19.97 off Amazon…. Cough cough hint hint Mum for Christmas cough cough… So….enjoy! Oh yeah – TCI never happened, ok? The Doctor regenerated into David in the Tardis, they went off on their travels again, didn't go back to see Jackie, then a little while later, the Doctor regenerated back into Chris..come on, you know the story! And if you don't, **go read the first two chapters then!!**

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The Doctor stood outside Jackie's flat door taking deep breaths. Rose was smiling at him, repressing her giggles and smoothing down his jacket and patting his hair.

"Remind me why I'm doing this?" The Doctor anxiously asked Rose as he stamped his feet in frustration and nerves.

Rose smiled. "Because my mother has a right to know when her one and only daughter is making her a grandmother." Rose's face twisted into a grimace as she thought about that. "Uh oh. She's not gonna' be too happy when she hears that's her new name. She'll think she's gonna be grey soon." Rose looked back up at the Doctor. "And, of course, it'll all be your fault."

The Doctor rubbed his hands together. "Thanks for that, Rose. That made me feel tonnes better."

"Pleasure." Rose smiled and patted his shoulder. "Go on. Get it over with."

The Doctor nodded, forced his shoulders back into what looked like a masterly position, raised his head, put his hand to the bell and pressed it. Immediately he heard footsteps and a shrill voice yelling "I'm comin', I'm comin'. And if it's that advertising boy then you better get scarce - I don't want no new boiler!"

The Doctor silently whimpered and made to turn away from the door. However, Rose was there to stop him and turned him back round. She held his shoulders square to the door, whispering in his ear "Oh no you don't. You're not getting away this easily." She smiled. To think that the great Doctor, master of time and space, who could save planets as easily as pop down to Tescos, was terrified of only one thing: Jackie Tyler.

Suddenly, the door popped open with a click to reveal a tousled and irate woman, still in her dressing gown. She was glaring as she opened the door, but when she saw Rose she beamed. "Rose!! You're back!! At last!! And you're alive!" She pushed past the Doctor to get to her daughter and held her tightly to her. "Mickey and I thought we'd never see you again after last time you left." Jackie pulled away from her daughter. "What happened? How come _he's _still alive?" Jackie jerked her head in the Doctor's general direction. The Doctor opened his mouth to retaliate with some witty speech but Rose stopped him quickly.

"Mum, I think we'd better go in! Don't want to keep us out on the doorstep forever, do you?"

Jackie shook her head and pulled Rose in, leaving the Doctor to close the door. As Rose was tugged into the living room, she looked back at the Doctor, who was shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

Jackie went and put the kettle on, keeping a string of conversation about what all their friends had been up to going on the whole time. As her voice floated into them, moaning about the way Marie's daughter dressed ("Like a real tart, you know"), the Doctor sat down gently and rubbed his hands again.

He looked at Rose and whispered "How the hell are we supposed to tell her if we can't get a word in edgeways? Well, you might be able to stop her, but she'll never shut up at anything I have to say!" Rose opened her mouth to reply but before she could Jackie came back in.

"Anyway, how come you're back here? Last time you came, you said that you couldn't come back." Jackie shot a filthy look at the Doctor.

"Yeah, but I wasn't gonna' just go off and never see you again was I? I'm still gonna' come and see you often!"

Jackie sniffed and looked into her mug of tea. Rose stared pointedly at the Doctor until he could no longer bare it, so he cleared his throat and put his mug of tea down.

"Er… Mrs Tyler…Jackie…Rose and I have got something to tell you….."

Jackie looked up from her mug of tea and glared at him.

"If you're gonna tell me that you've harmed my daughter in any way or that she's got some disease that means she can never come back here again then I swear I'll murder you…"

Rose raised an eyebrow and coughed pointedly. Jackie stopped talking and looked back at the Doctor. The Doctor didn't seem too happy at the sudden focus on him and started rubbing his hands again. "Um….er…" He looked up at Rose. Rose smiled at him and nodded encouragingly.

"Well, um…" He rubbed his knees, got up and went over to stand by Rose, looking at her pleadingly. Rose got the message and thought that she better help him out.

"Mum…there's no way I can come back forever now."

Jackie looked aghast but didn't say anything as she was vaguely cottoning on to what the Doctor and her daughter were trying to tell her. The Doctor knelt by Rose and took her hand. They entwined their fingers in each others and then Rose guided his hand to her stomach. They looked at each other gently and then slowly, their glances went up to Jackie.

Jackie opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish for a few moments, then looked at the Doctor. "I suppose this was all part of your plan, take a young innocent girl away from her family, show her a bit of the world, show off with your flashy space ship and then get her pregnant!"

"Mum.."

"Jackie, that's not what I did at all!"

Jackie snorted. "Don't give me that rubbish!"

The Doctor stood up and strode over to the fireplace. He put his hands on the mantelpiece and stared at the wall. All was quiet for a few moments. Suddenly, a northern accent broke the silence.

"When I asked your daughter to come with me, I meant what I said. I wanted her to come and travel with me, be my companion. I was drawn to her, for some strange reason, during the short time I'd spent with her. Rose was, and is, no ordinary human. She looks where the rest of you don't, and sees what you can't even begin to see. She saved my life." The Doctor turned and looked at Rose. "I was lonely and I wanted a companion. Perhaps I did want to show off a bit. I wanted to believe that there was something good in me, that I wasn't a total idiot, a betrayer…. a killer. Gradually as I spent more and more time with her, I began to feel something for her. Something, that has put the human race in jeopardy on a number of occasions." He smiled. "So I'll just say that now and apologise to all the people who have been hurt because I loved a human girl." The Doctor turned to Jackie. "I could never have in my wildest dreams imagined, or hoped for what has suddenly been given to me. I dare not think on it too hard, for fear that I might wake up, and it's all a dream - I'm still alone in the Tardis, with no companion. Your daughter has brought me new life, Jackie. She came into my life at a time when I was at an all time low. She was there to show me what was really inside myself."

Jackie looked amazed at him. The Doctor went to stand with his hands on Rose's shoulders. He stroked her hair absentmindedly before gripping her shoulders tightly. He looked up at Jackie. The look on his face was something she'd never seen before. It was so intense that she was almost scared. The Doctor was pleading with her, with every fibre of his being: especially his eyes. Their blue depths were deep and tragic. "Don't take them from me." He whispered.

Jackie put her hand to her mouth. She couldn't be that cruel. She went over to them and crouched down by Rose. She stroked her face as her own broke. Tears flowed out of her eyes as she whispered "I'm going to be a grandmother." Suddenly she reached forward for Rose and mother and daughter hugged. The Doctor chewed his lip nervously. Would the mother accept?

Jackie sniffed and wiped her eyes. She reached up for the Doctor's hand and squeezed it, holding Rose's hand in her other hand. "Now mind you, I don't want you calling my grandchild some stupid name, you hear? Nothing with more than four syllables and something you can spell easily. And I want to see it, all right? I'm not having you two racing round the universe dragging a baby with you who knows no other life!"

The two laughed and the Doctor put his arm around Rose and hugged her to him. Jackie let go off their hands to wipe the running mascara off her face. "See what you've done now? Look, I'll go and refresh my face and then I'll get us a really nice meal. And this time you're staying, all right you?" She looked at the Doctor. "Don't you go tearing off round the galaxy just yet!" Jackie hurried off into her room and they heard her muttering something about "Knew she'd be the death of me.. now what am I gonna' tell Bev when she rings?"

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other and smiled. "Knew you could do it." Rose said playfully, brushing something off his collar. The Doctor blew his cheeks out and ran a hand across his forehead.

"That's enough domestics for me today, thank you very much."

"Aw, come on, I'm sure we can get one more out of you?"

"Oh yeah, and what might that be?"

Rose pulled the Doctor closer towards her and parted her lips, her eyes glinting mischievously.

The Doctor grinned. "Now that's not domesticity. And even if it is, that's one domestic thing I can put up with, quite frequently…"

Rose laughed and leaned closer to the Doctor and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her back and smiled to himself. Life was good.

Suddenly there was a bang as the front door blew open.

"Jackie, I was wonderin' if you could get me something to eat? I got something for you from the corner shop.."

Mickey's voice stopped mid-sentence as he saw the couple together in the living room. Rose broke off from the Doctor and turned around. They quickly sprang apart, almost guiltily.

"Mickey.." Rose started, playing with a strand of her hair. She tucked it behind her ear and subconsciously put her hand on her stomach. Mickey looked startled at the two and couldn't take his eyes off Rose.

"Never thought I'd be a grandmother until I was grey. Sharon said I don't look a day over 30 the other week. Hold on, is this baby gonna' be alien? That would be brilliant if that nosy Caroline found out that my daughter had an alien baby.." Jackie barged into the room, brushing her hair. "Ah.." She said, as she noticed the still scene before her.

"Mickey, look, there's no reason for you to get mad, I broke up with you when we met you in Cardiff! Don't look at me like that!" Rose cried as she continued fiddling with her hair.

"I'm not looking at you like anything" Mickey said. "Um.. I think I'll go now, see you Jackie." He mumbled. Mickey made for the door but the Doctor hurried after him.

"Look, mate" The Doctor started.

"Hey." Mickey put a hand on the Doctor's arm. "You won her, fair and square. How could I compete with a time traveller.." He opened the door. "No hard feelings, Doctor." Mickey nodded and strode off from the flat.

The Doctor closed the door and went back in to Rose and Jackie. He flopped down onto the sofa and rested his head back against the top of the sofa. The two women looked at him. With his eyes closed the Doctor looked to the ceiling.

"Bloody domestics" He muttered.

**A/N** You know the drill – REVIEW!!


	4. Enemy on home ground

**Enemy on home ground**

**A/N **Well, here's the fourth part. I hope you're all still enjoying it, and that I'm not boring you to death. Well, let's just put it like this – you can't have a Doctor Who story without these little fellas, can you?????...

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The Doctor and Rose only spent a few days with Jackie - as long as the Doctor could bear. Soon, the two were off again in the Tardis, and the Doctor was running around the console like a freed bird, just let out of its cage. The Doctor took her back in time to places on Earth, part of her history. They watched the fall of Troy (the Doctor was quite distressed about this as he'd been here before, but Rose had wanted to see Achilles to say if he was as good looking as Brad Pitt had portrayed him, so…), the Crusades, walked among dodos and even managed to go to the Colosseum - a very entertaining trip for Rose as she watched the Doctor somehow end up in the ring and have to fend off Roman ladies, entranced by this mysterious man clad in leather (the Doctor was happily surprised by this new turn of events).

One night, the two lay together in the Tardis, entwined in soft and silky sheets. Rose was asleep and the Doctor stroked her golden hair, running his fingers through the long honey strands. Slowly, he fell asleep, his head on her shoulder.

Far away, on a huge metal spaceship, several metal voices were arguing about the final stage of their plan to raise their army from the dust, once again. As they argued, one name cropped up frequently, the name of a sleeping enemy who was feared by all of their kind. And of course, his companion, who was not to be underestimated - she had brought about their downfall only a few years ago. The metallic ring of a louder voice resounded above the rest, authorising superior power over the others, and his word was final. The final step commenced, as 3 shiny deadly machines moved into the beam of light that formed a huge transmat, placed in the centre of the spaceship. Of course, this ship was like no other - it was a frosty satellite, its surface peppered with towers and chambers. As the machines were consumed by the beam, their atoms were divided and sent across time and space, at a speed so great that the huge waves of energy were able to travel through the time vortex. And what a better place to come out than the main portal of the time vortex, a time lord's ship. In short, the Tardis.

Rose's eyes suddenly snapped open as she heard a familiar rasping noise. She screamed as she dug her nails into the bare flesh beneath her hands. The Doctor woke from the sharp pain in his shoulders and sat up quickly, reaching for his jacket on the floor as he saw the 3 Daleks at the foot of their bed.

"Do-not-move-or-she-will-suffer!" One screeched and the Doctor froze, his hand mid-way to his jacket. The Daleks obviously hadn't forgotten his weakness.

"Stand-up-and-face-us!"

The Doctor slowly disentangled himself, not breaking eye contact with the leader Dalek as he moved. Bare-chested, he stood up tall and strong, thinking as quickly as he could - what could they do? How did the Daleks get here? Rose was half-sitting on the bed, frozen with fear.

"You-will-lead-us-to-the-control-room-and-do-as-we-say."

"Or what?" The Doctor hoped that his anticipation of their answer was not correct.

One Dalek simply sent out a bright blue beam from its gun, inches from Rose's body.

The Doctor's throat went even drier. That made things a lot harder.

He led the way out of the door, his hands raised and along the corridor. He heard another Dalek instruct Rose to get up and follow. The Doctor carried on walking, leading the party into the control room. He stood by the console, awaiting his next instruction. Rose came into the room second last, her eyes looking straight into his. The power of the Tardis brought her thoughts to his head and he heard her voice ask "Doctor, what do I do?"

"Whatever they ask you to do, Rose." He thought, trying to bring some conviction into his thoughts.

"You-will-open-the-Tardis-and-channel-the-energy-into-the-co-ordininates-16-34-56-7001. You-will-not-refuse-or-the-girl-will-die."

The Doctor hesitated a moment, trying to work out how doing this could help the Daleks.

"Doctor..?" Rose whispered, persuading him to do as they asked. He nodded and turned to the console. As he worked, Rose questioned the Daleks. At first he didn't see why Rose was wasting her time with these monsters, but then he started to listen to their conversation.

"And what are you going to gain from the Doctor working with his _sonic screwdriver_?"

Of course! Sonic screwdriver! That would help! He always was able to think of some plan and execute it when he had his sonic screwdriver! The Doctor turned and asked if he could get his "device". A Dalek followed him back to the bedroom and when he started working again, (well, pretending to work) he could tell that the machines were getting impatient. Rose continued bombarding them with questions, trying to buy time for him. What should he do? Then he realised - if the energy was sent at such an angle and in such a way then the energy waves could burn the thing that was at the co-ordinates. The Doctor started to work properly now, hard and fast. When all was ready he announced it to the three creatures in the room.

"Send-the-energy." The leader Dalek commanded.

"You really want me to?"

"Do-as-we-command-and-we-may-reconsider-the-extermination-of-the-human-race-once-we-are-returned-to-our-former-glory."

The Doctor shrugged and pressed a large bulky button. The central column shone with a blinding light and Rose covered her eyes from its penetrating glare. Suddenly, the Daleks started to scream, a merciless and terrifying wail of despair, somehow made metallic.

"YOU-HAVE-NOT-DONE-AS-WE-INSTRUCTED!! THE-DALEK-SHIP-IS-DESTROYED!!! YOU-SHALL-PAY!!"

The Doctor's wild grin suddenly faded as he realised how he would pay.

"No, not-"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"No!!!!!!" The Doctor leapt forwards and knocked Rose off her balance as a bolt of energy shot out of the Dalek's gun. She flew through the air and crashed onto the console, her outstretched hand colliding with a small silver clip, unused for many years. With a click, the cover of the console slid open and a brilliant white light shone out - the heart of the Tardis. Rose shielded her eyes as she heard the Daleks scream again - but this time it was in pain and not fear. The energy consumed the Daleks and set them aflame. Gradually, the light receded back into the depths of the Tardis and the console lid clicked back into place. Rose opened her eyes, fearfully, but everything was safe. The Daleks had been destroyed, being far less powerful than they should be; the waves of energy had burnt them out. Rose slid the strap of her white silk nightdress back up her shoulder and looked around for the Doctor. He was lying motionless under the console.

"Doctor? It's all right, they've gone." She slid off her perch and bent down next to him. "Ow. You could have pushed a little less hard!" She put her hand on his bare shoulder. "Doctor?" Her voice was hesitant now, unsure of why the Doctor wouldn't reply. The Doctor put a shaking hand on his side and gestured to Rose to pull his trousers off his hip. Rose obliged and then gasped at what she saw.

A chunk of flesh was missing from the Doctor's side, obviously where the Dalek's gun had hit. The wound around the missing flesh was gaping, bleeding and a tangled mess of skin. Rose gasped again in horror, then quickly tugged at the skirt of her gown to pull off a strip of material. She bound it around the Doctor's waist and pulled him free from the console. She dragged him over to a pillar and sat against it, holding his head under her chin. She rocked him in her arms, kissing the top of his head and stroking his cheek.

"Rose…. I think they hit me.."

"Just a little, Doctor. Never mind, we'll soon have you cleaned up."

"Rose…that shot should have killed me."

"But it didn't! Surely that's enough.." Rose tried to push a little realisation of what the Doctor was hinting at to the back of her mind.

"Rose.."

"No. Not this time. This time I'll stop it, I promise."

"Rose!"

Suddenly, Rose broke down into tears. "Oh Doctor! As usual it's all my fault! I should never have stayed with you, I've brought you nothing but pain, death and trouble! It's my fault!"

"Rose!" The Doctor silenced her cries with one authoritative tone. "It wasn't your fault. I'd do it again, if necessary. You know I would." He looked up at her. "I'd die for you. You and my child."

His tones drifted away and once again, Rose felt the solid body she held in her arms deteriorate and start to fizz. The whirlwind of noise started buzzing but Rose still clung on tight to her Doctor. She wouldn't let him go that easily. Tears streamed down her face as in desperation she tried to hold on to him. She whispered in her head all her hopes, dreams and wishes.

"Don't take him from me…not again….I can't bear it…He's my Doctor…_my_ Doctor…oh God don't let him leave me…..Doctor!!!"

Just as suddenly as it started, the fizzing noise seemed to quieten and fade away. Slowly, Rose opened her eyes and blinked against the stream of tears pouring down her face. The body in her arms moved and shook his head…and looked up at her.

"Thank God…" Rose rushed and bent to kiss him, the same old Doctor, blue eyes twinkling as ever. The Doctor happily returned her kiss for a few moments before breaking away.

"I meant what I said. I would die for you."

"Don't you dare go trying to prove it though!"

"Rose, I've been meaning to ask you something for a long time….I don't really know how to say this, but I guess after what's happened there's no time like the present!"

The Doctor stood up and pulled Rose with him. He gazed earnestly into her brown eyes, his own ones burning with a special light that shone out on Rose alone.

"Will you share my wretched life, Rose Tyler, and marry me?"

Rose wiped her tears away with a stubborn hand, but to no avail, they only continued to flow thick and faster. "Of course I will!" She whispered.

The Doctor grinned and pulled her towards him, grasping her by the waist and whizzing her round, before clutching her tightly to him and kissing her. Time Lord and human were united in that one moment and their bond was one that could never be broken.

**A/N **AWWWW!!! HOW SWEET!! Go on then, press that button..


	5. Domesticity at last

**Domesticity at last**

**A/N** Well, thank you to all my reviewers – here's a bit more for you to enjoy at the beginning of Advent! Which means only one thing – IT'S NEARLY CHRISTMAS! To RagamuffinSundrop, I think I'm glad you laughed….hmm.. Well, go on then, read the next bit:

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This was not how she'd imagined her special day to be. Still, it was better - much better. She wasn't just marrying a man with a mediocre job down the corner shop - she was marrying an alien (who looked like a very good-looking man) who had a time machine that could take her to anyplace, anywhere and anywhen. If that was a word. Anyway, most importantly of all, she knew that he loved her so much that he would die to save her and she would die to save him.

Rose patted her hair and nervously pulled the bodice of her dress. She had found it tucked away at the back of the TARDIS (what on earth it was doing there she had no idea) and had fallen in love with it. She had been having a bit of a crisis as to what to wear without returning to Earth (and if she did that then she'd have to tell her Mum what she needed it for) and didn't want the Doctor to get involved. She wanted it to be a surprise (and to not show that she was two and a half months pregnant). The chosen dress was white, long and heavy. It had a full skirt with silky layers underneath to make it stick out and a beautiful bodice. It was decorated with shining jewels, obviously not from Earth as they glittered like stars - little did Rose know that they were real stars, time stars, the jewels of the Time Lords. The jewels were arranged in an intricate pattern that entwined itself all over the bodice. The sleeves were long and translucent, giving her arms an almost holy glow. A band of the same jewels that were on her dress was placed on her head and she wore flat white shoes. Around her neck hung a pendant which she had found in a box at the top of the wardrobe. A large star-jewel hung from it and when it caught the light, it scattered thousands of pinpricks of starlight across the room. It had been given to the Doctor's mother by his father on their wedding day. Rose, of course, did not know the significance of the pendant. She bit her lip as she looked at her reflection in the mirror before her. Would he like it? Or would it have some connection to Gallifrey that would bring back all the memories of its destruction to her husband-to-be? Rose smiled to herself as she thought that. Looks like there's no way he can avoid domesticity now! Suddenly she heard a soft northern call on her name, coming from the console room. Rose took a deep breath, shook her hair back and stepped out of her room and slipped through the corridors to the world beyond the Tardis doors.

As she reached the console room, she peeped around the door to see if the Doctor was there. He wasn't. She walked cautiously into the room and noticed that the door to outside was open…and that she could hear a soft rushing noise that repeated every few seconds. Rose tiptoed to the door and stepped out into her future.

The Tardis was on a secluded and dark beach, sometime in the night. Waves gently rushed up the sandy shore and sneaked back down to the ocean, before racing back up the beach, leaving a trail of foam in its wake. A tall, dark figure stood looking out at the ocean - the Doctor. Rose walked along the beach to where he was standing, his arms folded across his chest. When she was about 15 feet from him, he heard her and turned. His eyes were wide and glistening and his lips were parted in amazement.

"Rose…" He whispered, slowly unfolding his arms.

"If you don't like it, then I'll take it off…"

Before she could finish her sentence he had rushed to her and held her arms. "No! It's not that I don't like it……It's just that…" He struggled to get out what he was thinking. Rose encouraged him on.

"What you're wearing was made for a Time Lord. It was supposed to be the most beautiful thing ever made and certainly not something that a human girl could wear and look beautiful in…..but you can. You can and are wearing it and …….. you look like a Time Lady. Not just your clothes…in your eyes." The Doctor gazed into her eyes and she was almost lost in their blue depths.

"I think I'll take that as a compliment, Mr Illiterate."

The Doctor laughed and then gripped her arms tighter with purpose, holding her tightly and protectively. "Rose, is this what you want? To be my companion for ever and ever, world without end, through time, space and the universe? To be at my side, not just my companion but my equal?"

Rose closed the gap between them and put her hands on his chest. "No. I want to love you and be loved by you until the end of our days. I want to be your wife."

And the Doctor leant down to her and kissed her gently on the lips, gradually gaining force and feeling. He framed her head with his hands and when they finally parted, he stroked her cheeks and whispered. "Now I'll never be alone." They rested their foreheads together as a slight sea spray swept up around them. The Doctor slipped a hand under her legs and picked her up in his arms. She flung her arms around his neck and looked questioningly at him. The Doctor started to walk towards the Tardis. "Hey? I thought we were going to get married?"

The Doctor smiled and kissed her forehead. "Oh, Rose. According to Gallifreyan religion, we just did."

Rose gasped and drew his head to her and kissed him. Something in her tummy murmured and as the Doctor closed the Tardis door with his foot (he was a bit busy with the woman in his arms) she felt complete.

A rather confused pigeon sat on the beach watching the whole of this scene. As the Tardis disappeared, the pigeon shook his feathered head. Strange looking bird he thought, as he looked at the fading blue box. What did these American pigeons get up to in the genetics department?

**A/N **Well, there you go. Looks like the Doctor does do domestic! REVIEW! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!


	6. Incoming 1

**Incoming #1**

**A/N** Oooh, double post today, you're either lucky, or on an overdose. Right, this is one of my more favourite parts, so treat it gently, ok?

Lozenge xx

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"For God's sake will you both stop arguing and someone get me to the bloody hospital!" Rose bellowed, clutching the sofa for support with one hand and clutching her huge stomach with the other. "I don't give a damn how I get there!" She suddenly crippled over as pain swept over her body. She gasped for air. "Surely it's not supposed to be that painful?" She cried.

The Doctor rushed over from where he had been arguing with Jackie. He had wanted to take Rose to the hospital by using the Tardis but Jackie was insisting that she went by car or taxi. So far, all they had gained was earache from all the shouting.

The Doctor spoke in his authoritative and I-know-what-I'm-doing-and-I-know-how-to-solve-this tone, the one he used when explaining how an alien species was controlling the human race. "Oh yes it should be. You're about to give birth to a Time Lord, a superior species that have large amounts of cellular energy in every cell. This is no human birth."

Rose cried out in pain again and the Doctor rushed to her side and took her hand, grinning. "Isn't this fantastic! My people are about to have an heir!"

Rose glared at him. "It won't be so bloody fantastic for you in a minute mate, if you don't get me to hospital!"

The Doctor clapped his hands and bustled Rose out the door. "Right that settles it. So glad you approve of my method of transport, Jackie. Now nice to see you, we'll tell you when the baby's born. Ta ra!"

"Oi! You don't think I'm gonna let you manage this affair! I'm coming too!" Jackie grabbed her jacket and headed down the corridor outside the flats after her daughter and her new son-in-law.

The Doctor virtually pushed Rose down the stairs in his eagerness and only realised that he was inflicting pain on her when she cried out as a third contraction convulsed through her body. "Doctor! Do something! And stop pushing me!"

The Doctor shook his head at the mess he was in, reached into his jacket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He held onto Rose's arm and said "Hold on, Rose." He flicked the switch and the two vanished in front of Jackie's eyes.

"Doctor!" She shouted and looked over the edge of the corridor and out onto the estate below. The two missing culprits were standing in front of the Tardis. Jackie grumbled and hurried down the stairs after them.

The Doctor was trying to get into the Tardis with no luck. Every time he pushed his key in the keyhole, the key sprung out again. "Oh look, this isn't fair!" He complained to the door. "It's not Rose's fault!"

A grumbling sound came from behind the door.

"I don't care if you've just given yourself a spring clean, we only need to get to the hospital! Rose is not about to give birth on the floor of the console room, is she?"

The grumbling noise continued. The Doctor turned back to Rose with a sigh and sheepishly mumbled "Looks like we might have to take a taxi, then."

An hour and a taxi ride later, the Doctor was pacing up and down the doors that led to the wards of the hospital. He wasn't allowed in, as the extremely feminist nurse refused to let him accompany Rose and had flatly replied that patients were only allowed to have one person to accompany them. And that one person, of course would be Jackie. Well, if Rose had let her. Upon hearing the news that her mother would accompany her, she fainted on the floor and was hurried out by the nurse and a passing doctor.

"But I'm a Doctor!" He had yelled but the doors swung back on him and no one replied. So, he had been forced to spend the last hour alone in the waiting room with Jackie, who was very irate. It appeared she had not responded too well to the Doctors "little joke" with the taxi driver, when he had asked as to which of these "beautiful ladies would be his wife?", to which the Doctor replied "Surely you can see which one's the mother-in-law." Jackie was not amused.

The Doctor continued pacing as Jackie muttered curses under her breath. For the last hour she had kept up a running string of commentary about what she thought of him and his way of life and how he had treated her daughter. The Doctor had to keep shaking his head to free it from her pestering voice. His hands firmly in his pockets, bunched up into white fists and his head bent, he looked an imposing figure as he strode up and down. Little did the receptionist know that the strong man was shaking inside, fearful for his wife. Rose had no one beside her to explain what was going on, to explain why it was so much more difficult for her than all the other mothers-to-be in the world, no one to comfort her and reassure her. Would she be all right? Would she give birth to his child safely? What would the hospital do when they examined the baby? Would they notice straight away that this baby was different?

The answer came in a piercing scream which shot through the doors.

The Doctor barged through them and streaked along the corridor towards the source of the noise. He hurtled through a door and screeched to a halt in a small room. Rose was lying on a bed, her brown eyes wide and the feminist nurse was shrieking at the baby held in the doctor's arms. A scanner above Rose's bed showed an x-ray of the baby's body and it clearly showed two hearts. The Doctor closed his mouth and thought of his possible options:

a) Get Rose and the baby out of here before they call MI5

b) Hit the nurse (good plan) to shut her up and throttle the doctor until he promised to breathe not a word of it to anyone.

c) Start shrieking too and join in the party

d) Knock himself out so he wouldn't have to worry about this in the first place

"Hmm….." He thought. "Plan B sounds good." He punched the woman and scooped the baby out of the doctor's arms, handed it… ("Oh, good, he" he thought) to Rose and held him up against the wall.

"Right, first things first." He growled then in an instant his frown changed to one of his huge grins. "Thank you so much!" He hugged the man tightly before resuming his original position, holding him threateningly against the wall. "Not a word, all right? You don't breathe a word of this to anyone. Not even your wife. Understand?" The obviously terrified and very disturbed doctor nodded. "Good man!" The Doctor beamed. "I'll take that then." He snatched the x-ray off the screen and rolled it up and put it in an inside pocket of his jacket. "Sorry about her." He nodded his head in the direction of the unconscious nurse. "She was doing me 'ead in."

He rushed over to Rose and kissed her firmly on the top of her head. "Rose! You've done it! I knew that if anyone could do it, my Rose could!" Rose smiled and hugged the baby closer to her.

"It's a boy, Doctor. A proper heir."

"No good if there's no girl for him though, eh?"

"Yeah well, he can get off with some girl and they'll have Time Lord kids, won't they? And then gradually, they'll be more and more and eventually two Time Lords will get together, won't they?"

"Yeah." He smiled down at her and held her close to him. Then, he looked down at the baby in her arms. Rose held him out to him and slowly, carefully and cautiously, the Doctor took the baby in his arms. He sighed. "Hello." He whispered to the small creature in his arms. The baby opened his eyes and the Doctor saw that they were bright, bright blue. And, with a sigh of sadness, that he had slightly larger than normal ears and nose. "Oh well. You can't save him from everything." He muttered as he handed the baby back to Rose.

The timid Doctor gingerly handed Rose a towel.

"Thanks." She smiled and the Doctor beamed at him.

"Cheers, matey!" He cried.

Rose smiled again and said "Congratulations, Doctor John Smith. You're a father!"

The Doctor seemed to take it all fully on board and beamed once again. "I've got a son!" He yelled before racing through the doors to spread the word.

Rose looked over at the doctor and said in a confidential sort of way. "Don't worry about him, he's an alien from another planet." The doctor moaned in a strangled sort of way before fainting to the floor with a thump. Rose grinned and snuggled back down into her sheets with her baby. "Luke…" She said happily. The baby opened his eyes and smiled, a mirror image of his ecstatic father.

"Men…" Rose thought, as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

"A middle aged man has been wrecking havoc in Bridgeway Hospital and surrounding areas. He has been telling anyone who will listen that he's got a son and has been brandishing a metal cooking utensil at all his victims. A nurse has been found unconscious in the same hospital and she claims to have been attacked by the same man. She also claims to have seen the young baby son, who she claims had two hearts. Doctors from central London have taken her into the Wilson University of Psychological Disturbances. Meanwhile, the man, his wife and the famous son have disappeared. If you have any information about this man or anything to do with this unlikely event, please contact us. We have already had several calls, though they seem to suggest that the event never took place and was merely a new father, happy about the birth of his new son, and the business about the hearts just a figment of an overworked nurse's mind. Mrs Battersby of New Park Road says that a blue public police box disappeared in front of her living room window, right when the credits for "Coronation Street" went up. Police are yet to certify that this actually happened. And now, onto Colin for the weather report."

Jackie turned off the news with a sigh and a shake of her head. The two had said that they couldn't stay, but would come back soon with her grandson. "And look at the mess they've left behind them." She thought as she went to fetch another mug of tea.

Suddenly, the door clicked and Mickey walked into the lounge. "What've I missed?" He asked as he thumped down onto the sofa. Jackie just gaped as she thought of where she could possibly start.

**A/N **REVIEW! Have I gone mad? Am I insane? That's yours to decide. 


	7. A Night to Remember

**A Night to Remember**

**A/N** Ok, now this _is_ my favourite one. So no flames, otherwise I'll cry. Thanks, once again, to all my lovely reviewers – here's some more for you! Avec the son!!

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"Right then, where are we now?"

Rose wandered into the control room, rubbing her newly-washed hair dry. The Doctor was standing over the computer screen, tapping in information. A young boy, to the eye only three years old but in mind thirteen, was sitting on the grilled floor, building fortresses and towered pavilions with tiny bricks. Rose looked amazed at what her little son was building - a miniature city, with tiny details, plants and machines. She still couldn't get over what young time lords could achieve. Luke could already speak Gallifreyan reasonably fluently (the Doctor had taught him to speak it before he could walk. Rose thought that in the Doctor's eyes this was one of the most important things about having this child - someone to carry on the Gallifreyan traditions and to be one of the same species as him.) He was learning French, could give the Latin name for most species and of course, was learning to pilot the Tardis - well, in a sense. Luke would sit on the chair, clutching his teddy bear (Rose had insisted that he have one) and watch his father with large, blue, grave eyes as the Doctor pointed out each switch and what it did. Rose didn't see how he could understand any of it but once or twice he would offer some sensible suggestion as to how the Doctor could get to a destination without having to resign himself to battering away at the panels with a hammer.

"Here's a clue: Leonardo di Caprio and a very cold place." The Doctor smiled up at her.

Rose gasped "No! You're not...we're not…."

"Out of those doors it's 14th April and the year is 1912. You're on board the HMS Titanic, the unsinkable ship on her maiden voyage." The Doctor lowered his voice "And her final voyage."

Rose looked curiously at the Doctor. "Are you sure you want to see this? I mean...after what you've experienced…and I thought you said you were here before?"

"I have been here before, but not yet. I arrived later and watched the sinking. I had already been at the docks before the ship set sail...managed to save a few people. Most wouldn't listen. And don't worry. Tonight is your night on this ship."

Rose smiled and shivered a little. "I'll just...go and change then."

"I think I will too - not too drastically though."

Rose giggled "Good - you never change!"

The Doctor smiled then looked at their son. "What about Luke?"

"Oh, he needs to go to sleep. We won't be long. Besides, I don't want him to see this. Not yet."

The little boy looked up. "Aw, Mum! Why not?"

"It's not the sort of thing you should see when you're so young. When you're older, perhaps. And then only at the beginning of the voyage." Rose turned to the Doctor. "The grand staircase, 30 minutes, all right?"

"How're you gonna know how to get there?"

Rose fixed him with a look. "I think I've seen 'Titanic' enough times to know how to get there!"

The Doctor laughed as Rose disappeared off into the depths of the Tardis. He turned to his son and bent down next to him. "The Library, 5th bookcase from the door, third shelf down - you can watch the DVD instead!" He winked at Luke before picking him up and carrying him to the door of the library. "Mind you go to sleep after it though!" Luke nodded and hugged his Dad. The Doctor hurried to his room where he kept a suit, just in case he ever had to wear one. He smiled. This was going to be a night to remember.

The Doctor was happily chatting to people at the foot of the stairs. He had made friends with a gentleman who was on board with his young wife. Some people disapproved of their marriage, the gentleman told him, as there was considered to be an age gap. "Personally, I can't see what the problem is. If two people love each other and want to be together then what's the problem? And it's not too drastic an age gap, is it? Considering some people…."

The Doctor smiled. "My friend, I couldn't agree more. I completely understand you. There's a ….bit of an age gap between my wife and I, but there's no problem whatsoever."

"I say, who is that young beauty?" said a voice. Another man let out a low wolf whistle.

"Goodness, she's certainly very pretty!" said the gentleman.

The Doctor turned, expecting to see a rich American woman covered with diamonds. Instead he saw…

"Rose..." The Doctor breathed.

"Do you know this girl?" His friend asked.

The Doctor didn't reply as he gazed at his wife standing at the top of the stairs. She handed a steward her cloak and turned to him. She smiled before smoothly walking down the stairs. She was wearing a white silk dress with a golden girdle. A gold embroidered shawl was draped around her shoulders and her golden hair ran in waves down her back. The Doctor looked proudly at her and was breath taken. As she reached the foot of the stairs he walked forwards, one hand outstretched for her to take it. She took it gently with one of her small round hands.

"My wife, gentlemen." He announced to the group of men he had been talking to. Rose blushed a carnation pink as the Doctor glowed with pride.

Dinner had been wonderful. The gentleman's young wife had chatted non-stop to Rose, especially since discovering that they were so similar. They were both married to wonderful men who the rest of the world seemed to disapprove of, because of an age gap which didn't matter. Rose had a child, and the young girl, Maria, was expecting and they both travelled round the world and wherever their husbands decided to go next. Maria had Rose telling her the whole story of how she and the Doctor had met and how they had got married. Maria was enchanted with the whole story and thought it was beautiful how the two had finally overcome their shyness and admitted how they felt about each other. The Doctor had smiled across at Rose for almost the entire meal. He knew that wherever they went she was admired but to realise that in the past she was admired too was somewhat staggering. "And that she chose this ugly thing over them all." The Doctor still marvelled at his good luck. Finally Rose had excused herself, wishing Maria good luck with the baby. She suddenly realised that this was the last meal Maria would have with her husband and bent her head.

"Just a quick piece of advice - never stop telling the people that you love how you feel. You'll never know how much it means to them to hear that. Good luck, Maria." She added in an undertone "God bless you."

Rose hurried back to the Tardis and got Luke. She had changed her mind after looking over into the water and decided that he would love to see the sea. She wrapped him up warm in a Victorian suit and led him to the helm of the ship. She stood with her hands on his shoulders, pointing out leaping dolphins as the wind whipped through her hair. The Doctor finally emerged from a door and just stood and looked at them for a moment - his family. He walked over to them, humming a familiar tune. Rose turned and hummed the rest of the line to him before starting to sing, gently. "Near…far...wherever you are..." she continued. The Doctor smiled and held Luke's hand as he guided him up to standing on one of the bars. Luke held on with tiny white hands, laughing.

The Doctor turned to Rose. "Appropriate name, Mrs Rose Tyler." He grinned. Rose too stepped up onto one of the bars, her stomach firmly pressed against Luke's back to steady him. She stretched her arms out in the moonlight and the shawl around her shoulders waved in the wind. He held onto her upper body with his strong arms and his face was next to hers. She laughed as some sea spray was blown into their faces. Suddenly the Doctor moved his head to the back of her neck and she turned, twisted in his arms. They hesitated for a moment before kissing, just like a famous couple had in a film many years in the future.

Up on the bridge, Officer Murdoch pointed out to his companion a couple at the helm. They smiled at each other and Murdoch murmured "Titanic - ship of love. That's the next thing they'll be calling us!"

Slowly, the Doctor and Rose pulled apart. The Doctor lifted Rose and Luke down and lifted Luke up onto his hip. He held Rose's hand and walked them back towards a blue box, hidden under a staircase on the deck. As they reached the Tardis door, Rose turned back and looked around her. "Gone." She whispered. "All gone."

The Doctor put a hand on her arm and squeezed it. "Some men will show their truly brave sides this night." He gave her a tiny flicker of a smile. "And they shall be remembered for it." Rose nodded and followed the Doctor into the ship.

As the Tardis engines groaned and the time ship vanished, Captain Smith told Murdoch that he was going to bed. The chain of events was set in place and had begun. Several kilometres away, a lone iceberg was waiting expectantly. Ready.

**A/N **Oh, is that a tear I see in your eye? Yes, I think it is! Well, that chapter hits 10 on the "aw" scale, I think! Yes it's domestic, yes it's fluff, and yes I DON'T REALLY CARE!


	8. Faces from the past

**Faces from the past**

**A/N** Ah yes, yet more faces from the past appear in this chapter, one of which we like and the other which we do not. Oops, I'm being schizophrenic and doing a Gollum again...sorry...I'll just shut up now…

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The Doctor and Rose raced around the control room, pressing buttons and flicking switches. "What the hell have you done now?" Rose asked as she hammered at a bulky red switch.

"Nothing! I didn't do anything!" The Doctor yelled back as he hit the control panel with his usual weapon, a hammer. He seemed to think that this would make the Tardis better. As usual, he was wrong. The hammer head snapped off from the body and flew through the air, narrowly missing Rose's head in its path.

"Ah" said the Doctor, waving the now useless piece of wood.

Rose shook her head. He always did something. There was a resounding thud and the engines suddenly stopped. Rose looked across at the Doctor. He nodded, confirming her thoughts.

"Landed." He said, running to the door.

"Where?" Rose asked.

"Fair point." He said from outside the door. "Tell you what though," he grinned, poking his head back through the door. "There is a Tesco."

"Oh hooray!" Rose cried sarcastically, waving her arms and putting her hands on her hips in a very wifely way. "Our salvation is not far from hand."

The Doctor gave her a look before continuing. "I'll go and get a new hammer and you can check on Luke." He gave her a quick grin, showing his enthusiasm at this new spot of bother they were in before speeding off into the unknown. Rose sighed. Typical. It was always her who had to look after their son. She didn't mind, but he seemed to not be paying as much attention to Luke as he had when he was just born.

It wasn't long before the Doctor was back, dragging someone along in tow.

"Rose!" He yelled as he and his new companion burst in through the door. "Look who I found!"

Rose came hurrying into the control room, expecting to see Adam, Nancy or someone else they had met on their travels. She didn't dare to hope that it could be Jack, who she missed terribly. He had been a great friend and very, very funny to be with. The three of them had shared some good times whilst together. Instead, she saw someone who she was not at all pleased to discover was alive - her rival. The annoying hyperactive mouse girl from Satellite 5.

Lynda.

Whilst Rose had grown older during her travels and had matured and wizened in her looks as well as in her mind, Lynda was just the same as ever. Just as youthful, just as annoying and just as appealing to the Doctor. She squealed with delight to see Rose and began babbling about the Tardis. Apparently they had landed ten years after the Dalek invasion. The world was gradually being repaired and Lynda had returned to her normal life. Every time Rose tried to ask when she had last seen Jack, Lynda would start off with another "Do you remember when….", which Rose thought was very stupid, as they had only known her a few hours and nothing remarkably funny or pleasant had happened during that time. Rose had been abducted by some Daleks and held in the heart of the Dalek fleet and there was nothing pleasant about that. The Doctor insisted that she stay for dinner, as he was sure Rose could cook up something. So Rose had obligingly gone to the kitchen and thrown a few things into the oven and sulked. All right, she was jealous. And she knew that really she had no cause to be. The Doctor always said that he loved Rose more than life itself (which was a lot for him, considering the fact that he could live for over 1000 years) and had barely mentioned Lynda except to tell Rose she was dead. And how had she survived, Rose had wanted to know. Apparently, Rose herself had brought her back to life. When she brought Jack back, she had brought Lynda back as well. "Good going Rose" she thought to herself. Still, despite all the reasons why she knew the Doctor couldn't prefer Lynda to her, there were still two doubts. One was the way he treated her and Luke nowadays. He used to treasure them and worry about them. Used to say every day how lucky he was to have them and that he still thought that one day he would wake up and it would all have been a dream. Now he never said that. Rose had become a habit to him, something he just accepted to always be there. And he had been quite tired recently. Since he had met Lynda again, he had been full of the puppy dog energy that everyone knew him by.

"Could it be possible?" Rose thought. "Can Time Lords love forever? Can he not love me anymore?"

Lynda went home late that night, only after promising to return early the next morning. Rose had gone straight to bed after she had left and it had been some while before the Doctor had followed her. Rose had lain on one side, looking out into the darkness whilst the Doctor had gone over the whole evening in a blow by blow account, regardless of the fact that Rose kept telling him that she had been there too. Finally they had both fallen asleep.

Hours later, they woke with a start to a sound not unlike the one the Tardis made when it materialised. The Doctor raised his head and listened, motioning to Rose to be quiet. Then he slipped out of bed, threw on his dressing gown and made for the door. Rose followed cautiously at his elbow, wondering what had arrived on their doorstep. As they peered out of the Tardis door, they began to make out a large dark shape looming out of the darkness quite a few yards away.

Suddenly, a swinging American voice broke the silence of the night. "You stupid ship, what the hell have you done now! You were supposed to land in Las Vegas, not Las Tesco!" The voice kicked the side of the ship with a clank, obviously harder than he had intended to, as the man swore loudly. Suddenly, on hearing a particularly rude word come from the man's mouth, Rose parted her lips, and wrinkled her forehead. She took a step forward, towards the shape and the man.

"Jack?" She whispered to the night. "Jack?" Her voice grew louder as she gained confidence.

"Rose?" The voice replied. "Rose, is that you?"

"Jack!" The Doctor and Rose both cried as a dark haired man stepped out of the gloom and into the light of the Tardis. Jack raced forwards, grabbed Rose and kissed her. The Doctor thankfully wasn't too miffed, he knew Jack too well to think that he was trying to steal her away. Jack then turned for the Doctor and gave him an awkward manly slap on the back before shrugging his shoulders and kissing him too. Rose laughed. Looked like one person hadn't changed at all then. Jack explained that his ship seemed to have broken down and that he was a bit stranded. And, as he tactfully reminded the Doctor, he couldn't fix his ship as someone had blown up the factories of Villengard, the only places to stock the parts to fix his spaceship. The Doctor waved that aside with a carefree hand and with one arm around each of his two companions, walked with them back to the Tardis and charged straight into Luke's room to show him his godfather, who he had never met and on Jack's part, who didn't know existed. They were a very happy family that night as the Doctor opened a bottle of champagne and toasted to the future and many more adventures with Jack. Rose beamed around her as she raised her glass. This was how it should be she thought, as the Doctor drained his glass with one arm around her.

The next morning, Lynda arrived bright and early. The Doctor suggested that they all go for a swim. Lynda borrowed some swimming kit from the huge Tardis wardrobe and before long was jumping into the pool. Jack soon followed suit, after getting a warning from both Rose and the Doctor that if he harassed Lynda or tried anything, he would be back outside and in Tesco before you could say "No fair." And of course, as he skulked off in the direction of the pool, the Doctor shouted after him "Don't you dare try and get in there without some swimming trunks either!" Jack sighed and continued his moping walk.

"Coming?" The Doctor asked Rose.

Rose put a hand to her tummy, which had been feeling a bit sick for a while and shook her head. The Doctor tried to get her to come but soon gave in and after checking she would be alright, followed Jack to the pool. Rose, however, went to their room. She made sure everyone was at the pool before lifting a panel out of the wall behind her wardrobe and fishing her hand around. She finally found what she was looking for, something she had found in the Tardis infirmary. A pregnancy scanner. Taking a deep breath, she led on the bed and put the scanner on her stomach. She turned it on and looked timidly at the hologram of her stomach which appeared, rotating above the scanner. A red light beeped as a shape flickered in the hologram. A whirring noise started as a strip of paper came out of the machine. Rose snatched it out and read it with frantic eyes. Affirmative. A girl. Half Gallifreyan. Rose covered her face as she started to cry. Why now? She thought. Why when he had lost interest in her. She had seen the look on his face when Lynda had appeared. She had never seen it before, a dreamy look. She shook her head as she reached under the bed for her suitcase. It was obvious to her that he loved Lynda. She could do nothing better than go home, take Luke and go and live with Jackie. Perhaps not give him anymore discomfort and never tell him that he would have another child. He had done so much for her, always cared for her and looked after her, showed her the world and others besides. He had given her everything she could ever have wanted, even pretended to love her so as not to hurt her in recent months, when he finally realised he longer cared for her in the way he had done. Perhaps he had always loved Lynda and Rose had just been a substitute whilst he thought Lynda was dead. No more, though. No more pain. She would ask him to take her home and he could see Luke when he felt like it. Probably not much, at the rate he cared for his boy now. Rose stopped shoving clothes into her bag and walked over to the desk, her hand on her stomach. What would her Mum say when she landed on her doorstep with a young boy and pregnant with another child? A baby girl. She had always wanted a little girl. And she knew that the Doctor wanted one too. Just not hers. Suddenly a sharp pain seared through her body and she collapsed on the floor.

Meanwhile, the Doctor stopped racing Luke up and down the pool and started to think about Rose. Recently, she had become quiet and depressed. The spark had gone from her eyes. She was unhappy, he was sure. Life in the Tardis married to an alien had not gone as she had hoped for, he thought. And despite the fact that he could never let her go, he knew that if she wanted to go, he would have to take her home. To her mother. To Mickey. He may be an idiot, but he's the one she really loves, he thought. He looked around him. She had given him so much. A son, happiness, a new way of looking at the world around him. He shook his head. She was probably crying in her room at her predicament right now. He would go and tell her that he would take her home, if that's what she wanted. And he knew it was. And that it would break his heart.

Slowly, he got out of the pool, changed into his clothes and strode along to their room with a heavy heart. When he pushed open the door his hearts nearly stopped. "Rose!" He cried as he saw her outstretched form on the floor. He ran to her, picked her up and laid her on the bed. Then he saw the scanner and shortly afterwards, the form. "Affirmative. A girl. Half Gallifreyan." He read. His face crinkled in sadness. He should have been so happy, yet he was only sad. He had created more mess for her to sort out. Another bond that she would always have between herself and him. Another thing to remind her of him.

Suddenly Rose murmured as she came to. "Rose." He breathed, cradling her head in his arms.

"Doctor…" She whispered back.

"I'm so sorry." He said. "If you want to leave then I'll take you home. Whenever you want."

Rose's heart stopped. "Then you do want me to leave." She cried.

"No! It would break me. But if you want to go, start a new life with Mickey then….."

Rose gasped. Was that what he thought? Was that why he had been acting like this? "I don't want to go anywhere! I want to stay with you! But I thought you didn't care for me anymore. I thought you loved Lynda….."

The Doctor laughed. "Me? Love Lynda? When I love you more than the entire population of the human race?"

"Then you…"

"Want you to stay with me forever? Yes."

Rose buried her head in his leather jacket. "In that case, I have some news for you." Rose whispered. She leant away from him and taking his rough hand in her own, rested it gently on her stomach. The Doctor grinned. "Fantastic…." He whispered, as he moved his face closer to Rose and kissed her, brushing any doubts away.

In a few days time, Rose, the Doctor, Jack and Luke left. Lynda had been told of their intended departure the day before. On discovering that Rose was going with the Doctor and was pregnant again, had screamed something about how she would be a better companion than Rose, how she never got captured or anything and how she had been working and helping when the Daleks had invaded. Rose had just caused havoc, nearly getting the Doctor killed. She was useless. At this, the Doctor had grown to his full height and shouted that he would die again for Rose and that she was NEVER useless. He told Lynda that without Rose he would have been dead many years ago. In more ways than one. Physically and Spiritually. Lynda had run from the Tardis angrily and the Doctor had slammed the door after her. Rose put a calming hand on the Doctor's arm and pleaded with him with her eyes. As usual she succeeded. So, reunited as one family, the time travellers had set off once again. And their destination? Jack had been given the choice this time. Women (and men, to be honest, as it's Captain Jack Harkness) of Las Vegas - be prepared………….

**A/N** Reading this over some time after writing it, I think I've progressed in my writing skills since. In short, I think I write better now. Well, at least I hope I do! Anyway, forgive the ramblings of an innocent fangirl and just hold on until the end – which is speedily approaching, which could be good or bad. It's up to you and what you think. D


	9. Incoming 2 and Jack gets a job

**Incoming #2... and Jack gets a job…**

**A/N** Right, then, here it is the final part. I'd just like to say thank you to all my faithful reviewers who've followed this, my first fanfic I wrote, through form the beginning, despite the long waits, and I hope you like this last part, and that it isn't too cheesy – reminder: I did write this some time ago now, so my writing may have changed… One last thing – it helps to understand this if you've read **"The Clockwise Man" by Justin Richards**, one of the little Doctor Who books the BBC brought out. A character from it appears in this chapter, but you'll live if you haven't read it. I hope..??

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"Out! Out!" Yelled Rose, tottering after Jack with a large pink fluffy towel held precariously around her, her 9 month in stomach showing through the folds of the fabric. Jack, grinning, ran ahead of her, trying very hard not to laugh. Rose pushed him through the control room and through the Tardis doors. As Jack disappeared through them, Rose turned and shook her head.

"What did he do?" The Doctor asked, dreading the answer, as he raised his head from below the panels of the floor, where he had been "tinkering."

Rose turned to her husband. "He was trying to get a look at me in the shower." She huffed.

The Doctor's first emotion after he heard this explanation was anger and jealousy. Rose was his wife. But then, he saw the funny side, and made exceptions. After all, it was Jack.

As his mouth twitched as he tried to suppress a smile, a clear, strong voice wafted in through the doors. "Raise your hands above your head. Don't move - I know who you are."

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other. Uh oh. "Uh, guys?" Jack called out.

The Doctor sighed and pulling himself up from below the panels, went to the door, Rose accompanying him, pulling up her towel. They stuck their heads out of the entrance to the Tardis.

Captain Harkness was standing just in front of the doors with his hands raised, looking round at them desperately. A tall lady stood before them, a slim gun pointed at Jack's heart, wearing a long silken dress. Her red hair glimmered in the sun. Her face was hidden……by a painted mask.

"Doctor?" Melissa asked.

"You know her?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Old friend." He replied, walking out of the Tardis. Rose waited in the doorway, whilst the Doctor walked up to Melissa and calmly stood before her. "Right. Let's get one thing straight before you start hurling accusations: whatever he's done, he didn't mean it like that, _whoever_ he's done, he didn't mean it like that and generally ignore his presence, it's what we do and it seems to be the best policy."

Jack glared at him.

"Anyway" the Doctor continued "He's Jack." Rose and the Doctor nodded. They had used this line so much previously, as it made perfect sense to them, that they didn't realise that some people might not get what they were on about.

Melissa, not surprisingly, looked confused. But she shook her head to clear it of confusion and said "He's a time agent. I could tell by a first glance."

"But he's not 'Elector of Dastardlia'." Rose helpfully pointed out.

Melissa's face hardened. "It's the 'Elector of Dastaria'." She glared.

"Oh."

The Doctor smiled. "So, as you can see that this…….man is innocent, we can all go in and have a nice cup of tea." He turned to Rose. "I like tea. Good for the sinuses." He added, conversationally to Melissa, who he frog-marched into the Tardis.

Jack made a particularly rude gesture at the Doctor, which the Doctor returned behind his back, even though he hadn't apparently seen it with his eyes. Jack looked very confused. Rose laughed, helping all three into the Tardis.

Soon, they were all sitting down around the console. The Doctor was happily pointing out all the parts of the console and what they did to a mesmerised Melissa. Jack was teaching Luke rude words in Raxacoricofallapatorian, and Rose was sipping her tea, an amused watcher of this domestic scene. _Hold on - "domestic." The Doctor doesn't do domestic._ Rose shrugged her shoulders. Apparently, he now did.

Suddenly a spasm of pain shot through her. She dropped her mug and it smashed on the ground, averting everyone's attention to her. As Rose wrapped her arms around her stomach and closed her eyes in pain, then Doctor rushed to her side, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"What is it Rose? Where does it hurt?" He asked, his eyes wide with fear.

Rose tried to speak but continual spasms prevented her. When she finally could draw breath, she could only utter one word: baby. When the Doctor heard this, he turned away muttering some Gallifreyan swear words and something in Human tongue along the lines of "Oh Christ, not again….I refuse to spend the labour with her mother again…"

Looking appreciatively at the Doctor for his support at this moment, Rose rolled her head back in pain.

Jack and Luke hurried over. "It's gonna be all right, Rose." Jack promised, putting his hands on her stomach, from behind her, except "Wandering hands Jack" didn't exactly get to her stomach, but to other parts of her torso. Rose angrily tried to brush him away. And this was how her nearest and dearest friends helped her out in her time of crisis. By feeling her up and swearing.

She turned to the Doctor. "It's worse than last tine." She panted between gasps of breath.

"Last time?" Melissa asked. "You mean she's given birth to another of your children before?" She directed her question at the Doctor, as she stood away from the group clustered around Rose. All heads turned to her as they tried to work out why it was bad for Rose to have previously given birth to a Gallifreyan. Well, half Gallifreyan.

"Yes." The Doctor said cautiously. "Why shouldn't she?"

Melissa put a hand to her head. "You're a _time lord._ She's a _human_."

"And?" The Doctor squeaked, his voice becoming very high as the old argument about his and Rose's relationship returned to the surface.

"A human is carrying a time lord's child." She stated. "A singular blood-passage mammal is carrying a binary blood-passage triphecorial dual neuron Gallifreyan alectorasorious."

"True." The Doctor gulped, as Rose, Jack and Luke looked between the two with their mouths open, as if watching a tennis match.

Suddenly the silence was broken by Rose crying out in pain as another contraction shot through her. They all turned back to Rose, Melissa joining them now. "What can we do?" The Doctor asked Melissa.

"Let me help her give birth. There's no way you could take her to any Earth hospital and I doubt she would be that happy with the facilities at any alien hospital. "

Remembering one trip to a hospital on an alien planet, in which their idea of patient confidentiality was to make the birth and labour a public gathering, where cameras were allowed and random strangers allowed to congregate and watch the "miracle of living nature", Rose feverishly shook her head, declining any trips to alien buildings of medicine.

The Doctor looked anxiously at Rose. He knew that his wife and Melissa had not exactly hit it off before, and well, Melissa had a face made of metal. She was half robot. Rose looked worried, biting her lip. Suddenly yet another contraction started and in her pain, she turned snow white and fainted. The Doctor turned to Melissa and nodded. "Do whatever you need to do - but take care of her."

Melissa smiled and the Doctor picked Rose up and led Melissa towards the Tardis infirmary, as fast as he could whilst carrying a fully-grown woman.

Jack was left with Luke, who looked up to his godfather for reassurance. Jack smiled and tried to look confident. "She'll be fine." He smiled. He manoeuvred Luke down the corridors, following the others. "Now, if you discovered your girlfriend with another man, you would say to him ……………………"

The Doctor paced up and down the room next to the infirmary. It was covered with bits and pieces, with a unit in a corner, and a kettle on it with some sort of "additional bonus device" that the Doctor had added onto it, subsequently resulting in the demise of a loyal and faithful tea-maker. Jack sat on a chair in a corner, Luke asleep on his lap. Once again, the Doctor was outside, with nothing he could do to aid his wife. The door clicked as Melissa entered, a bowl with a flannel in it in her arms. The Doctor looked at her anxiously.

Melissa smiled grimly, closed the door and went to the sink. "She's sleeping now" she explained. "And no, she hasn't given birth yet." She answered the Doctor's question before he could say it. She sat down on the seat, smoothing down her dress before looking the Doctor in the eye. "Did you think about what you were doing before you….." Her voice trailed off.

"Yes!" The Doctor sighed, sitting down with a thump, holding his head between his knees.

"It's just.." Melissa tried to say what was in her mind. She looked frankly up at the Doctor and Jack. "It's just that I wouldn't have thought you would have done this. She's a young girl. You should have kept your feelings hidden and at least... restrained yourself….especially after her already giving you a child."

"But what's preventing her from having another one, just as easily?" The Doctor asked.

"I thought you knew everything?" Melissa smirked. "Obviously you didn't take that much interest in your sex ed. lessons…."

The Doctor glared at her. He didn't appreciate the mick being taken out of him whilst his wife might be bleeding to death.

Melissa continued. "For Rose to carry a child of yours, she would have to be very strong. She clearly is. A Gallifreyan has so much energy compressed in them from the moment of conception. Cellular energy - lot's of it. For Rose to have held so much energy in her human body for 9 months previously was a miracle. And for her to have to undergo it again - and give birth once more…..impossible."

"You mean….she can't do it….and survive?" The Doctor asked with a dry throat, hoarsely.

Melissa rose and solemnly looked at the two men. "You must prepare yourself. And hope for a miracle." She paused at the door. "_Another_ miracle."

The Doctor looked blankly at the door. Without saying a word, he rose and walked out of the room and down the corridors towards his room.

"Hey, Doc? Doctor come back! Rose needs you!" Jack called after him.

"No she doesn't." He called back. "Look what I've done to her." He strode off into the depths of the Tardis. "What a fool." He thought angrily. "I should have stuck to my original decision. I knew it was wrong, I knew…." He stopped as Rose's face when she had fainted came to his mind. He mentally brushed it away, only for it to be replaced by Rose's face as Bad Wolf, surrounded by a golden aura - when she had looked like a goddess: very beautiful. When she was there, saving his life. He sighed. That was why he had told Rose how he felt. That was why he had married her - because they shared a bond that was very special. They would both die for the other, and without the other, their lives were incomplete. "But…" He continued to think. "What if she dies?" His heart went cold at the mere thought of it. All these years he had been fighting to save her, fighting to keep her away from harm, ready to die for her himself, for her to escape Daleks, Slitheen, Autons, Jagrafess, Reapers…and then to be killed by his desire and love for her. He gave a shallow laugh. It wasn't right. And now he was killing her.

He reached his room, and as he reached his hand up to the door, all his great strength, power and bravery went from him, leaving him weak and helpless - like he would be without Rose. He could barely pull open the heavy oak door that only he could open. Wrenching it open, he dragged himself across the room and to the chairs by the large mantelpiece and hearth. One chair for Rose, one for himself. His eyes were desperate and long carried troubles seemed to weigh upon his weary brow, covered with creases. Slowly he reached his chair and sat down, his head in his hands. Tears reached his eyes and soon his proud icy blue eyes were awash with tears. "Oh Rose.." he murmured, his lips shaking.

Suddenly, the Doctor was awoken from his stupor by a long scream, followed by a series of cries. He jumped to his feet. Rose. Another long scream followed. Then just as suddenly as it had started, all was quiet. The fire in the hearth wavered, and then, as if an invisible wind was blowing at it, blew out. The lights flickered and died.

The Doctor was plunged into darkness, apart from the light filtering in through the window simulation. He looked to one as a scraping noise started. A bare black branch was scraping on the window as a fierce wind shook it violently. He started as the thunder crashed and lightning followed, illuminating the black heavens and the rain that thundered down. The Doctor's face was lit up at a burst of lightning, tear streaked, his eyes wide and unbelieving. The weather reflected the Tardis' emotions. And the Tardis' emotions reflected those of the people in the Tardis.

Shaking, the Doctor tried to reach his chair, but fell to the floor. The thunder sounded as he whispered "She's dead. Rose is dead." His proud form fell in as he realised the fate of his lovely, fantastic wife. "No!" He shouted, raising his head and fiercely defying the force of nature. "No!" He shouted again, rising to his feet and running to the window. He dashed his head against it, grinding his teeth in his pain. He continued in this manner for a while, the storm continuing to rage. Suddenly, he turned to the room, and vented his anger on the place where he and Rose had spent so many happy hours. He crossed over to the bed, ripped the sheets and tore at the pillows. He strode to the wooden wardrobe and using his strong arms brought it crashing to the ground. He went to the small stool where Luke sat by the fire and broke its legs off, tossing a few into the empty fireplace. He snapped the rest over his knee. As he raised his arm to ram one into the middle of the window panes, he heard something that made his heart stop: a cry. Of a woman. Pausing, he listened again, a candle in his eyes sparking with hope. There it was again, a cry. And then a shriek.

Disbelieving, he ran out of the room, tossing the leg of the stool aside. He stood in the blackened corridors, listening once more. Another shriek. "Rose" he breathed, starting to walk and then run down the corridors. Could she still be alive?

As he reached the infirmary, he saw Melissa run back into the infirmary, crying "If only we had a midwife…."

Jack rose to his feet "If you need any help..." He asked, following Melissa through the ajar door.

"OUT!" A voice bellowed, not for the first time that day. Jack dodged back out through the door.

The Doctor broke into one of his huge smiles. "Rose!" He shouted, trying to get in. However, the door slammed shut. The Tardis obviously wanted Rose to have some privacy. But the Doctor didn't care - Rose was alive, and that was all that mattered. "She's alive!" He cried, turning to Jack.

Jack nodded slowly. "Uh huh. There was a bit of a problem a while back, but she's ok now." He eyed the Doctor. "Nice of you to join us now."

The Doctor ignored him, raising his finger to hear what was going on in the room. They heard more shouts and cries. Jack put his hands to his ears. As a particularly piercing scream rose from the room, Jack opened his mouth to swear. The Doctor hurriedly put his hands over his son's ears to protect him, looking angrily at Jack for his carelessness. "Some sort of a godfather you are!" He scorned.

"Hey! I'm a great godfather, aren't I Luke?"

Unfortunately for Jack, Luke was still fast asleep, sleeping through all the commotion.

As the Doctor gave Jack an I-told-you-so look and the offending godfather rose to his feet, the cries grew louder and then, another voice joined that of the warring men, shouting mother and encouraging Melissa. Oh, and the snoring child. A baby's cry joined in the entourage of shouting voices. The men went quiet as they heard it. The Doctor let go of Jack and let him drop from his hand to the floor, with a thump. Incredulous, he walked to the door, raising a hand to the doorknob, the door sprang open without any one touching it. He put his head round the door, followed by Jack and the now awake errant son, Luke.

Rose was lying back on the bed, utterly exhausted. But in Melissa's arms was a tiny little figure. As the Doctor cautiously approached, Melissa turned her arms so he could get a better view. He peered over the cloths and saw what could only be described as a miracle: an alive and healthy baby girl. He spun round, amazed, to Rose. She smiled, albeit weakly and nodded to him, encouraging him to take his daughter in his arms. Melissa gently handed her over and the Doctor took her from her arms, cradling her in his leather clad ones. He opened his mouth with a start as he held her in his arms with no support, glancing to Rose for reassurance. She smiled. He looked at the little girl closely, as she opened her eyes. They were hazel - just like her mother's. The Doctor looked proudly at her as she surveyed him. Deciding that she liked this new figure, the baby closed her eyes once more. "Susan..." The Doctor breathed.

Everyone smiled, and as Jack and Luke drew closer, Melissa backed away. Washing her hands quietly, she nodded to the Doctor and murmured to Jack "I'll see myself out", quietly walking towards the door.

The Doctor carefully handed over the small creature in his arms to Rose, who held Susan in her arms gingerly. "She's beautiful." Rose murmured, gently folding the sheets over her small body.

"Just like you." The Doctor smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to mother and daughter. "Rose..." he said, taking Rose's free hand in his own, "I'm so sorry. For everything. I didn't know - if I had then I wouldn't have touched you."

"Doctor, everything's fine, it doesn't mater, I'm fine, the baby… _Susan's_ fine.."

"But it could have been so different." He squeezed her hand. "Back then, a while ago, everything in the Tardis went out. A storm raged, the fire blew out….. I thought you were dead. And I saw what my life would be like without you: blank, dreary, empty, grey and cold. Nothing. And for me to be the person who had caused it…"

"Hush." She whispered, disentangling her hand from his to stroke the side of his face. "I always wanted a little girl. And now I have. And for you to be the father is just..." She floundered, looking for a word. "Fantastic!" She grinned.

"Can you ever forgive me? For nearly killing the one thing in this world that I love to the point of distraction?" He asked.

She bent her head and kissed his forehead. "No." He started up, looking at her with wide eyes. "No." She continued. "Because there is nothing to forgive."

He sighed. "Do you still love this broken, distraught man?"

"No." She replied, once again. "I love this happy, brilliant, _fantastic _Gallifreyan, who I couldn't live without either."

Faking anger at being caught out by the same game twice, The Doctor grasped Rose's shoulders and pulled her closer to him, his muscles taught, his eyes fierce. But then he smiled and kissed her.

Little Luke averted his eyes and looked cautiously at his young sister. But, of course, Monsieur Harkness was not setting an example to his godson as he gazed longingly at the two. Hmmph. Why didn't he get any action nowadays?

Noticing their friend's somewhat persistent attention, Rose and the Doctor decided to teach him a lesson. When they separated, they both turned to Susan. Rose put her arm out to Luke, who happily came, and held by his mother, had his first proper look at his sister. He smiled. Sadly for the Doctor and Rose, it would not be long before "LUKE! WHY IS SUSAN IN THE DUSTBINS!!!!" would ring sonorously round the Tardis.

The Doctor looked at his watch and grinned. "Rose" he asked "How would you like to have a little show?"

"What do you mean?" She replied, a glint in her eyes.

"If we hurry, we'll just catch the Staraurous equivalent of the northern lights - and they're ten times more beautiful."

Rose gasped, raising a hand to her mouth. "Oh Doctor, that sounds lovely!" She looked down at Susan. "But who would look after the baby? We couldn't leave her and Luke alone, we'd be gone for hours!"

"I guess you're right." He said, looking downcast. They both sighed and sunk back onto the bed. Then with a grin, they both simultaneously glanced up at Jack, grinning madly with mischievous glints in their eyes.

"Jack, my old friend - you'll help us out won't you! We all heard you earlier when you said that you'd be quite willing to help Rose during labour.."

"Uh, yeah, but that was for quite a different reason.."

"Oh I'm sure we mean the same one..." The Doctor smiled, guiding Jack over to the cupboards in a corner of the infirmary. "Right, everything you'll need you'll find here: Luke's toys, they can be given to Susan now, I'm sure they'll be fine, Gallifreyan dictionaries, if they suddenly say something you'll have no idea what they want without one, nappies, milk bottles, games, music to send them to sleep." He blew his cheeks out. "Yeah, I think that's just about everything." He grinned. "Thanks mate!" He slapped him on the back and strode across the room to Rose.

"Nappies?!" Jack repeated incredulously.

"Yep. Come on Rose." He carefully helped her out of the bed, handed Susan to Jack (who was still looking completely confused and mouthing "nappies?!" hysterically) and walked her to the door. "Ta ra everyone!" He beamed, waving his hand and then he and Rose slipped out the door. Jack remained motionless. Outside, Rose and the Doctor stood outside the door, laughing silently to themselves.

"Er….right then!" Jack grinned as he had an idea. "Luke, you get the 18's, I'll get the popcorn!"

Upon hearing this, a rather indignant mother and father burst in the room, glaring at the Captain. But it was too much for the joyful Doctor, and he burst out laughing, swung Luke round in the air, did a few steps of a waltz with Rose and hugged Jack.

And so here we leave them: Jack, the captain of an abandoned ship outside Tesco, shoving popcorn in his mouth and putting a CD in the music system; the Doctor, the father of two young Gallifreyan heirs and the husband of a woman who passionately loved life almost as much as him, dancing a tango with Luke, yelling "I told you I've got moves!"; Rose, the mother, wife and friend of the whole rabble, lying back on the bed smiling; Luke, the boy who would follow in his fathers footsteps and become the hero of many…and who have I forgotten? Oh yes - Susan, the new born baby, smiling in her sleep as she snuggled down in her mother's arms. What a family! But I'll tell you what - they're fantastic!

**Fine**

**A/N **Yes, folks, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it, and didn't find it too cheesy. I'd just like to say thank you to all my lovely reviewers once again! Thank you, and goodnight!


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